Since the unpleasantness last month in Newtown, Connecticut, our rulers and their myrmidons in the media, never wanting to allow a crisis to be "wasted" are all atwitter over the possibility of further voiding the second amendment to the Constitution by outlawing "assault" weapons. Indeed, the Vampire state in an apparent trifecta race with Kalifornia and Illinois has won first place by enacting a comprehensive attack on the ownership by mere mundanes of so called "assault" rifles including the AR 15 and all weapons of the Kilashnakov design. These scary appearing rifles, while having no functional distinction from ordinary semiautomatic weaponry are considered by our "Progressive" bettors to be evil by virtue of their "military style" and are therefore officially designated as "assault" weapons.
On the other-hand, the Department of Homeland Security via the General Services Administration has issued a solicitation for bids to supply 7000 "Personal Defense Weapons" for members of the Immigration & Customs Enforcement bureau. The weapons to be delivered are described as AR-15 platform rifles but containing the option of a selector switch enabling them to fire as either semiautomatic or full automatic as in machine gun.
Please note, gentle reader, that our government defines these items as "Personal Defense Weapons" whereas the version of this rifle sans the full automatic capability in the possession of an ordinary citizen is defined by the same government as an "assault weapon".
You simply can't make this shit up.
HT/ Steve McGough
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
"PDW" is what the US Army calls the M-4/M16x when carried by a soldier, in recognition that it is a weapon best used at close range for "defense" of the soldier and his unit. Doctrine and actual use in the field calls for heavy weapons and air support to extract soldiers pinned down by (users of .30 cal bolt action rifles) enemy when their organic unit weapons (and limited precision fire training) can't reach out and put the touch on them.
ReplyDeleteA full-sized "battle rifle" like M-14 or M-1G is capable of much longer range and is much more likely to result in the immediate "stopping" of the enemy soldier with one good hit. These larger/heavier weapons can be too much for under-trained and small-of-stature women, but have good effectiveness in the hands of trained full-sized men.
AR-15 is a very appropriate model for Americans tasked with defending government property from mobs, as it useful for varmint hunting, militia duty, self defense weapon and as a weapon that small and large people can handle. US Gov't already owns large stockpiles of ammo and magazines, as well as the capability to rapidly train to a level of basic use, so why wouldn't the various Agencies order some PDW's?
I agree that many/most gov't agencies and employees inside CONUS have no business with arms beyond the pistol carried by the night patrolman, or the lobby security man and should be required to call the local police/sheriff for problems.
All the while handing their Muslim Brotherhood friends in Egypt a gift of F16's......
ReplyDeletepdxr13: "...so why wouldn't the various Agencies order some PDW's?"
ReplyDeleteIf they are full auto "pdw's" when used by government goons, why designate them as "assault weapons" when the semi auto version is owned by ordinary citizens??